Wireless telephony networks or systems that support mobile telephones are widely used by persons while traveling. For example, cellular telephones are often used from cars or other means of transportation during commutes. However, the quality of wireless network coverage can vary. For example, due to political reasons, such as zoning, or geographic reasons, such as the presence of mountains or tall buildings, coverage in certain areas can be poor or non-existent.
In order to avoid dropped calls, users of mobile telephones who repeatedly travel the same route can learn where areas of poor or non-existent coverage are, and avoid being engaged in a call while traversing such areas. However, such prior experience is unavailable where a user is traveling a new route, has never attempted to complete or maintain a call within a particular area, or has simply forgotten that coverage in the area is poor or non-existent.
Wireless telephony network service providers often publish coverage maps illustrating areas in which network coverage is available. However, such maps typically have a very large scale, and do not show localized areas of poor or non-existent network coverage within larger areas that are advertised as providing network coverage. In addition, wireless telephony network service providers are reluctant to publicize “holes” in their network coverage. As a result, users generally must rely on their own experience or on information obtained from other users to determine whether wireless network coverage will be available along a route they are traveling or desire to travel.
As a result of areas of poor or non-existent coverage, a mobile telephone can be unable to initiate or receive calls. In addition, calls that are in progress can be dropped without warning. Furthermore, although network service providers maintain logs of dropped calls and where they occur, they have been unable to conveniently compile information regarding actual routes that network subscribers (i.e. mobile telephone users) take or would like to take.